Evidence for autoantibody production associated with polyclonal B-cell activation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Experimental infection of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa resulted in the polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes, as assessed by the spontaneous plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to trinitrophenyl and sheep erythrocytes. Additionally, a PFC response to bromelain-treated syngeneic erythrocytes (Br-MRBC) could be detected in infected mice, suggesting that P. aeruginosa infection might also induce activation of self-reactive B-cell clones and consequently lead to autoantibody production. Furthermore, in cultures of mouse peritoneal cells, heat-killed P. aeruginosa enhanced the development of anti-Br-MRBC PFC, even under conditions where cell division was blocked, suggesting that the in vitro P. aeruginosa-induced enhancement of anti-Br-MRBC PFC was essentially related to cell differentiation, cell division playing only a minor role. The mechanism of the in vivo and in vitro P. aeruginosa-induced activation of anti-Br-MRBC PFC are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D008937:Mitomycins; D004247:DNA